5 RingsChildren
by Sanguine Tear
Summary: AU Two guests with different fantasies. One wants to have a final wild fling before marriage but is she really ready to settle down? A young couple can't come to terms about having children in their marriage. One wants a houseful, one doesn't want any. Can they come to terms or will their fantasies also be the end of their marriage?


Rings/Children

The plane landed as their guests arrived. First out was a handsome and well-built man who was a professional baseball player. With him was his wife a beautiful young woman who seemed to love him dearly. Looking at them Mr. Roarke spoke.

"Mr. and Mrs. Tennyson. He's a wonderful first-baseman and together they are a happily married couple."

"No such thing." Hecate said.

He looked at her for a second trying to decide if he wanted to say anything. Tattoo just rolled his eyes. The thunderstorm this morning proved that they weren't on the best of terms today. Mr. Roarke continued.

"You may indeed be right, my dear. Their relationship has taken on a bit of water lately. He wants a houseful of children; she doesn't want any. They each contacted me with their own request fantasy, and I arranged this weekend for them. I believe that, as with all couples, if they work together a mutual understanding can be found."

"I'll agree with that. Just look at us, two opposites yet we do well together. We might fight and argue but we do well together just the same."

He nodded as the next person got off the plane. She was a pretty blonde woman with an heir of self-importance.

"Miss Larkin. She is an interior designer in a medium sized town in Indiana. She's engaged and would like one more wild night out of being single."

"That's a foolish fantasy. If you're already wandering and not even married yet, then you're not ready for marriage at all. The week before our wedding I was a nervous wreck. I never thought of having one more fling for old times' sake. All I could think about was the fastest escape route off the island should I change my mind."

"In all honesty, you were not the only one. I had Poseidon waiting for me in case I decided to run. I couldn't very well swim across."

"True, water is your weakness. I think that's why everyone feels safer now, you're here with me on an island far away from anyone." Hecate smiled. "So, I take it that you have arranged for her to have a wonderful weekend."

"Oh, yes. Her fantasy is a weekend with a mysterious, tall, dark and handsome stranger."

Hecate nodded and looked over at him.

"Alright, that's basically a standard request. I do want you to promise me one thing."

"And what is that?"

"If she is here requesting tall, dark, handsome and mysterious then I want that wedding band you're wearing clearly visible at all times this weekend whenever she's around."

"My dear, we create fantasies, we do not participate in them. Besides, the ring is not always a warning to stay away you know that."

She simply looked over at him as he smiled and nodded.

"Very well, I give you my word. This entire weekend I will not remove my wedding band at any time while she is around. Although, I have never taken the band off yet."

She nodded.

"I just want to be sure, that's all." She smiled.

Their drinks arrived as he introduced himself and his wife. Focusing on Miss Larkin, Hecate noticed that she was completely focused on Roarke. That afternoon they moved around the banquet area speaking with the many guests that were there. Talking to some of them Hecate noticed Miss Larkin cross over to Roarke and start flirting with him. As promised his ring was clearly visible in front of her but that only made her smile and flirt even more. Hecate sighed and spoke, more to herself than to Tattoo standing beside her.

"I see, and I just walked right into that one, didn't I?"

"Into what?" Tattoo asked.

"I just really need to remember what the initial 'L' in his name stands for."

They watched as he smiled and spoke to Miss Larkin. Above them a loud thunderclap sounded. Excusing himself he headed back to where Hecate was standing.

"My dear, if you would cease being so jealous for a moment and simply read Miss Larkin, you just might be surprised at what you discover."

She turned and focused on Miss Larkin for a couple of minutes. Sighing she spoke.

"Great, not only is she attracted to married men she loves to play the frightened damsel in distress whenever it rains."

"Don't worry, as I told you, we create fantasies we do not participate in them."

"Really? Since when are you opposed to playing with a mortal?" She questioned.

"You have been trying to pick a fight with me all day. Enough, Hecate. I am not part of what I have arranged."

She sighed and nodded backing down.

"I know, I'm sorry. It's just that she reminds me of Aphrodite. It's the 'any man you have I can take away' attitude. I tend to get jealous of you at times."

"And I you, however this is not one of those times. I know that saying to trust me is a bit amusing but, in this case, please do."

"I do, even two thousand years ago when everyone thought that I had gone insane. I trusted you. Foolish I know, but then and now, I do."

He smiled and nodded as they heard someone approaching. Turning around Hecate blinked and tried to decide if she should laugh at Roarke's answer to Miss Larkin's fantasy or completely forget her own vows and take off with this mortal. Before them stood Mr. Ruiz, a world-famous model for the cover of romance novels. He had long dark hair, dark eyes, tall, very muscular with a tanned complexion. Roarke spoke.

"Ah, Mr. Ruiz. How nice to see you today."

"Yes, I would like to thank you Mr. Roarke. I haven't had one person ask for my autograph or a photograph. It's been so peaceful."

"Good, I'm glad that you are enjoying yourself."

At that moment Miss Larkin approached them giggling and flirting in full force. Looking at the two tall men before her, both wearing wedding bands, she smiled even more. Quickly introducing them Roarke soon made his escape. As they walked around the banquet area Hecate smiled.

"I should have guessed that you would use someone like Mr. Ruiz. He is a perfect choice."

"Thank you, but did you have to stare at him. Really, Hecate, have some control."

"I might be a goddess, but I am still a woman. Besides, I believe you did a second take at that buxom actress last week. The one who wanted to be the next May West."

Roarke nodded. Yes, he did look at her several times. Especially when they were filming a swimsuit scene with her in a very small and revealing bikini. Looking up at him, she spoke.

"Since I am not the one who set this up, I have to ask, is that wedding band he's wearing real?"

He nodded and answered.

"Yes, he is a married man with a wonderful wife. Although she is not known to wander, he certainly has never had a problem with it. To him the wedding band simply means he cannot have a lasting relationship since he is already married."

"That's sad. I never understood that about mortals. Their whole lives last only for an instant yet some are never satisfied with what they have."

"Don't worry too much about his marriage. He doesn't yet know it, but his wife just ran away with the gardener. She's had enough of his ways and her new man only has eyes for her. It's a much better trade if you ask me."

She nodded as the day continued. That evening they headed to one of the homestyle bungalows. Inside they could hear the laughter of children.

"The Tennyson bungalow, I believe." She said looking at him.

"Yes, and inside, five children ranging from three months to fifteen years."

"I'm not really sure how five children are the answer to two separate fantasies, or how they are going to keep them together."

"Oh, their fantasy was not to stay together. They each contacted me with separate requests. He wanted her to know how much fun children could be and she wanted him to know how much work it would be."

Tattoo looked up at him and spoke.

"I don't get it, Boss. Isn't both fun and work part of raising children?"

"Yes, that's true, but they focused only on one side of it. Not on the whole picture. While they each got their fantasy, I don't know if their marriage will survive now that they know both are expected."

"It's a shame. Many good marriages are destroyed due to the desire or non-desire for children." Hecate said.

At that moment an angry Mr. Tennyson left the house and headed down the street. Quietly following him they watched as he sat down on a bench not far away. Crossing over to him Mr. Roarke spoke.

"Good evening, Mr. Tennyson. Are you not enjoying your fantasy?"

He looked up at them and sighed.

"I always thought that having children would be fun but I'm getting everything from a bad attitude to constant crying. Are all children like this?"

Roarke smiled a little and answered.

"As children grow, they change into their own person. With children of your own you tend to be more tolerant and understanding then with others for the same issues, but those problems will appear in them all, in one form or another. It's up to you how to deal with them. Children are indeed fun. Little league games, soccer, tennis. There are many different sports for children. However, not all children enjoy sports. You own children might very well have you setting there for chess tournaments or debates. There are numerous possibilities. Never assume that simply because you are good at something it will mean that your children will be. Their interests might be very much different than yours are."

"I understand. That's why those children have so many different personalities. The oldest just wants to draw, the pictures are wonderful but that's all that she wants to do. The next is great at tennis, but I don't know anything about that sport. I never really liked it. The third enjoys books and reading and the other two are babies. They're too young to even talk. All they know how to do is cry. I spoke with the older ones and I learned that they are all full brothers and sisters."

"Yes, each child is different just like each person you come across is different. Children are not clones, they are people just like everyone else. While your children might indeed be baseball fans, since they will grow up in such a house as yours, there is no guarantee of that. There is also no guarantee that they will be good at sports either."

"Yes, I understand. I think that this weekend has opened my eyes a great deal to more than just one outcome. Thank you." He said standing up.

Heading back to the bungalow Roarke watched him go before speaking.

"Now he understands his wife's hesitation while at the same time she has been enjoying the children and now understands his desire."

"Now the desires are reversed." Tattoo said.

Roarke nodded.

"Yes, and it is up to them to discover a middle ground or not."

They all turned and disappeared back into the darkness. At last the weekend ended and the first couple to arrive was Miss Larkin and Mr. Ruiz. They looked at Roarke and smiled as Miss Larkin spoke.

"We've decided to leave everything behind and move to Florida. We're going to start our new lives over in Miami."

Mr. Ruiz then spoke.

"She is a great woman and wonderful interior designer. We're going to open our own business."

Roarke smiled and answered.

"Well then, I wish you two luck in the future."

They nodded and left as Hecate smiled.

"She actually thinks that she can change him. He's not going to stop."

"No, he will eventually do to her what he has always done in the past. In a few years he will also leave her for someone younger. It is the way that he is."

It was then that Mr. and Mrs. Tennyson walked up to them.

"We want to thank you for a truly eye-opening experience." Mr. Tennyson said. "We have a lot to talk about. Now she's ready for a houseful of kids and I'm hesitating."

"I'm certain that the two of you will work things out." He smiled.

They nodded heading for the plane. Hecate looked over at Roarke and spoke.

"They really do love each other. I hope they can work it out."

"They will. I made a phone call this morning to one of us who can see the future and he said that they will have three children and a long and happy marriage."

She nodded as the plane left. Turning around they headed for their office where new requests were waiting for them to be answered.


End file.
